(١٣) الْدرسُ الْثَّالِثُ عَشَرَ (أ) - Lesson 13-A

 

  • In this section we will learn the plural form of nouns and Adjectives Insha Allah

    • In English adjectives have no plural form. So when an adjective is used to describe a singular noun, the same word is used to describe the plural noun e.g., if we say "Good boy" for a singular noun then in the same manner we say "Good boys" for the plural nouns.

    • In Arabic however even the adjectives have plural form, e.g., when we express the quality of a teacher by saying مُدَرِّسٌ جَيِّدٌ (A good teacher), it will become مُدَرِّسُوْنَ جَيِّدُوْنَ i.e., Good teachers for the plural nouns. So the noun as well as the adjective becomes plural and both change form.
       

  • English and Arabic both have two kinds of plural:

    • Sound Plurals

    • Broken Plurals

In Arabic the sound plural is either masculine or feminine. In order to convert a singular masculine noun or adjective to plural the following steps should be taken:

  • The tanween on the last letter of the indefinite word is replaced with the single vowel of the equivalent - i.e. single dhamma (when in nominative case), single fatha (when in accusative case) and single kasra (when in genitive case)

  • وْنَ is added at the end of the word if it is in nominative case (with a damma) and يْنَ is added if the word is in accusative (with a fatha) or genitive case (with a kasra).

  • However if the word is definite, then simply وْنَ is added at the end of the word if it is in nominative case and يْنَ is added if the word is in accusative or genitive case. Please see below - please take note of the colour coding to emphasise the changed and additional letters to make the words into sound plurals.,

هَذَا صَائِمٌ ====== هَؤُلاَءِ صَائِمُوْنَ

    These people are fasting ========== This person is fasting

رَأَيْتُ مُدَرِّساً ====== رَأَيْتُ مُدَرِّسِيْنَ

     I saw teachers ========== I saw a teacher

أَنَا مَعَ مُسْلِمٍ ====== أَنَا مَعَ مُسْلِمِيْنَ

      I am with Muslims ========== I am with a Muslim

الْمُهَنْدِسُ ====== الْمُهَنْدِسُوْنَ

  The engineers ========== The engineer

مُحَمَّدٌ مَعَ الْفَلاَّحِ ====== مُحَمَّدٌ مَعَ الْفَلاَّحِيْنَ

  Muhammad is with the farmers ========== Muhammad is with the farmer

زُرْتُ الْمُهَنْدِسَ ====== زُرْتُ الْمُهَنْدِسِيْنَ

I visited the engineers ========== I visited the engineer

  • Lets take some examples to understand this rule:

Picture English Arabic
This is a Muslim هَذَا مُسْلِمٌ
These are Muslims هَؤُلاَءِ مُسْلِمُوْنَ
I saw an inspector رَأَيْتُ مُفَتِّشاً
I saw inspectors رَأَيْتُ مُفَتِّشِيْنَ
He is with a supervisor هُوَ مَعَ مُوَجِهٍ
He is with supervisors هُوَ مَعَ ْمُوَجِهِيْنَ
The person who fasts الْصَائِمُ
The people who fast الْصَائِمُوْنَ
I saw the teacher رَأَيْتُ الْمُدَرِّسَ
I saw the teachers رَأَيْتُ الْمُدَرِّسِيْنَ
I am with the instructor أَنَا مَعَ الْمُعَلِّمِ
I am with the instructors أَنَا مَعَ الْمُعَلِّمِيْنَ